Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. L. GRIFFIN.

CAR COUPLING. No. 317,342. V Patented May.5, 1885.

WITNESSES $6 By fi ATTORNEYS.

INVENTOR N. PETERS. Phourulhn n hm. nnnnnn nnnnn Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES LEE GRIFFIN, OF OUSSETA, TEXAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,342, dated May 5, 1885.

Application filed February 25, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES LEE GRIFFIN, of Ousseta, in the county of Cass and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Irnprovement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View, partly in section, of my improved coupling, one part being shown attached to a car-body. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one part of the coupling. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one part of the coupling shown attached to a car-body.

The object of this invention is to provide car-couplings connected in such a manner that the cars will uncouple automatically should one or more cars leave the track, but which will connect the cars securely while on the track.

The invention relates to a car-coupling constructed with draw-heads having stationary hooks and recesses in their sides, and provided with pivoted hooks held in place by springs, and provided with a trip plate and lever, and with chains and alever, whereby the cars will couple themselves when run together, can be readily uncoupled, will uncouple themselves when thrown from the track, and can be prevented from coupling when run together, as will be hereinafter fully described, and then claimed.

A represents the draw-heads of the coupling, in one side of each of which is formed a recess, B, to receive a coupling-hook, G. The hooks O are pivoted at their rear ends to the drawheads A in such a manner that their forward ends can swing outward laterally. The forward ends of the hooks C are pressed inward by springs D, the rear ends of which are attached to the draw-heads A at the rear ends of the said hooks O. The springs D are curved outward and then inward, and their forward parts are straight, rest against the outer .sides of the hooks O, and are slotted longitudinally to receive the eyebolts E, attached to the forward parts of the said hooks G, and by which the said forward ends of the springs D are i kept in place. The hooks O engage with sta- (No model.)

the inner sides of the upper forward parts of the trip-plates G, which project a little above the tops of the draw-heads A.

To the rear ends of the levers J, and to the eyebolts E, are attached the ends of chains K, the other ends of which are attached to the lower armof a lever, L. The lever L is pivoted to the right-hand part of the forward end of the car-body, and its upper arm moves along a curved catch-bar, M, attached to the said end of the car-body, and which serves as a guard to keep the said lever in place. With the teeth of the catch-bar M engages the lever-pawl N, pivoted to the lever L, and held against the teeth of the said catch-bar M by a spring, 0, interposed between and connected with the said lever and pawl. With this construction, when the upper end of the lever L is swung outward'the cars will couple themselves when run together, and will uncouple themselves automatically should one or more of the cars be thrown from the track. When the upper end of the lever L is swung inward, one of the hooks G will be drawn outward, and the other hook 0 will be forced outward by the tripplate G, uncoupling the cars. When the hooks O are held outward by the lever L, the cars can be run together without coupling.

In the forward ends of the draw-heads A are formed recesses 1?,to receive the endsof a couplink, Q, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The link Q is held in place by pins R, inserted in holes in the said draw-heads A and passing through the said link, so that the draw-heads A can be coupled by the ordinary link and pins, and so that a car provided with my improved coupling can be readily coupled with a car provided with the ordinary link-and-pin coupling.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with 2. In a ear-coupling, the combination, with l v the draw-heads A, having stationary hooks F :0 and recesses H B, the pivoted hooks O, and

the springs D, of the trip plates and levers G J, the chains K, and the levers L, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the cars can be readily uncoupled, and can be prevented from coupling, as set forth.

, JAMES LEE GRIFFIN.

\Vitnesses:

J ornv T. Moonn, O. M. TUCKER. 

